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Participants:

Max on an errand for his mother's band of holdless arrives in Telgar with a list. Jaya is not helpful

Rating:

PG 13

Logger:

Max

Blood and Bucket Tavern

Blood and Bucket Tavern

It's a slow afternoon, which is nothing new for the owner of the Blood and Bucket tavern - Keane. Robust, red-faced and balding, the tavern owner busies himself behind the bar with his mugs and a dirty-looking rag while keeping his eye trained on the sole activity going on in his tavern - that being, his sole employer busily engaged on any other activity other than helping to keep his tavern clean. He watches Jaya currently straddling a wooden chair and going over her hand of cards before his only customer - a weathered-looking man covered in brown clothing. The two are quite, engaged in the current game of cards that has the tension in the air tight. It's only when the customer finally lets off his heavy stare at his hand that the scarred barmaid permits herself to smile - if only briefly - as she meets his eyes and slams down her revealed hand to all. "Ha! Beat that, old man!" she cries as she jumps up to her feet. The triumphant look is almost infectious, and the customer reluctantly reveals his hand with much less gusto and sighs at his loss.

"Don't go cheating my loyal customer," Keane grumbles aloud, watching with suspicious eyes as Jaya grabs up all the marks in the middle of the table with both hands. "Don't need another fight up in here."

The Bitran barmaid snorts as she continues collecting her winnings, saying no word to him.

There’s a moment between Jaya’s triumphant shout of victory and the grumble from Keane, where the doorway of the tavern is darkened by the form of a potential customer. Taking a moment or two for his eyes to adjust to the interior gloom, the dark haired, stubble-jawed young man slaps his hat against his thigh, dust puffing up into the air. Dark eyes drifting between barmaid and ‘keep over words of a fight. Intoning to himself with lazy amusement, “Sounds like my kinda place this,” to whomever will take his order, “Brandy, and make it a double.”

Sharp-eyed Jaya's attention cut towards the doorway the moment the man entered into the tavern. Not pausing in her collecting at all, she regarded the newcomer as the customer before her intones, "Can I at least keep enough mark to buy a drink?" With her winnings being craddled into her worn apron, Jaya straightens up at the newcomer's words and lifts a brow. "Brandy?" she echoes, looking the man critically up and down boldly in her rich alto. "What you think this is? Benden?" To the man before her, she pulls out one mark from her bounded apron and tosses it behind her towards the tavern owner. To Max as she does so, "Drink the cheap ale like the rest of us," she says, turning from him towards the bar. "That's all we got."

Meanwhile, with Jaya taking rude liberties in addressing new customers, Keane just has enough energy in the split second to catch the mark tossed his way. He throws a glare Jaya's way and turns to get his old customer a drink. "Jay," he warns in his deep baritone, nodding Max over as he pours ale into a mug. "Go make yourself useful and pour the man a drink already."

Dark eyes make a full and assessing study of Jaya before a rough snort spills out and Max turns toward a corner table, the other customer barely spared a glance. Hat set carefully to one side of the table and sprawling into the chair, one hand lifts to rub through his hair in weary gesture. Through a cocky grin that comes on the heels of her boss’ directive, “A pint of Telgar’s finest,” openly mocking her earlier words that had touched on Benden.

A roll of eyes becomes the new patron's answer to his words from the barmaid. Jaya turns her back on Max and leisurely makes her way towards the bar. Grabbing the large bottle from behind it, "I dunno about FINEST, shuga," she dryly remarks, reaching for an empty mug behind her as she eyes Max. Then she nods toward the bar owner throws a kiss his way. "Telgar's finest, Keane!" she cries, her voice loud and reverberating through the shack as she pours. Keane blatantly ignores her as he works on the other poor customer's drink.

Head tipped to one side Max quite openly watches the departing sway of Jaya’s rear, “Not looking too bad from this angle,” he quips in reply to her. A chuckle never quite makes it out, reverberating in his chest for the loud announcement she makes to the whole tavern. Plain to see there’s some or other wicked comment on the tip of his tongue but he holds it back. At least until such times as the barmaid has returned with his drink. From a side pocket of his jacket a folded and tatty square of hide is drawn out and unfolded, brows settling into a line of contemplation as a considering look filters back the way of the dark haired woman.

"Calm down, Jay," Keane responds, Max's quip getting his look of ire in return. He then returns to the old loyal customer who is gratefully nursing his drink, striking up a low conversation about some or other happening in the local area. Jaya meanwhile, seems amused by the quip. Shoulders go back and she languidly stretches in a tease before walking up to the new patron. Leaning down close to him with a little pert smile, "I look even better with my fist angled at your temple, darlin'," Jaya drawled, rolling her shoulders sensuously before suddenly setting the filled mug infront of him. Straightening and dropping the act just as abruptly as she turns away, "Keep your eyes on your mug, stranger. You don't want none of this."

The tattered square of hide now spread on the table before him, looks to be a list of supplies. Simple things really with the exception of the arrow tips included. When Jaya leans down, Max’s attention stays fixed to the hide, the low rumble of his words, amused, “Some men would take those as words of invitation, babe.” Whether or not he is such a man, remains undetermined at this stage. Taking the mug up, he drinks thirstily, swiping the back of his hand across his mouth afterward. Dark eyes do exactly what they were told –not- to do and sweep up and down the barmaid, “Perhaps I do,” candid. Then in a more businesslike tone as a finger pushes the scrap of hide toward her, “Got a few things in need of attention. Interested?”

The list of supplies gets a bare sweep of Jaya's attention when she was leaning forward, but now it's the response returned that has her turning back toward him. Her brows lift briefly at talk of invitation, slipping a quick glance her boss's way as if to see if he was paying any attention their way. When it looked like Keane was far more interested in what he was talking with the other sole customer in the bar, Jaya turns her full gaze on Max. Head tilting as she sits pertly on the side of his table, "Men easily would," she answers, flat. "It's why I never lose." Dark eyes dropping down to the list he's pushing towards her, "Unless there's ale on that list, I don't know what you expect me to do with THAT."

Max follows the barmaid’s glance, looking unperturbed for whatever looks might be coming his way from the tavern owner. Extending his sprawl by stretching his legs out under the table as she perches on its top, he tips a look up to Jaya, humour playing about his mouth though not quite reaching his eyes, “You sure about that?” As to the list there comes a small derisive sound, “You’re not really that dense are you?” taking his chances with annoying the woman, continuing with exaggerated patience he explains, “You live around here. I don’t. Simply in need of knowing which way to turn to pick these up.” Ale, is not on the list.

"Positive." Jaya's confidence in her response shows in the challenging look sent his way now as she slides the list slowly towards herself with one finger. As to the dense comment? "I'm as dense as you are on the verge of receiving a Bitran ass-kicking," she's quickly to toss his way with her dark level gaze in warning. Looking back down at the list now to study it, she takes her time answering him. She moves the list back with one finger, as if removing her interest from it. Straightening up, "You'd do better picking these up at your local hold," she answers, non-commital. "Or ask Keane over there. He's more Telgari than I am." Flat, "I'm just a mere barmaid."

Spreading his hands away from himself, Max meets that warning with a self-assured grin, “Bring it on, babe.” The tightening around his eyes in total contrast to the easy air he exhibits. This devolves into a dark narrowed eyed look meeting her next words, “On the road.” As explanation for why he’s looking for supplies in Telgar. As to Jaya’s last, a low snarl of irritation spills out, “Shards woman! You mean to tell me you have no idea where the grains stores are, or who to buy cloth and nails from? You just hang around in here day and night like a wher scared of its own shadow?” Frustration and weariness rendering him heedless of whether or not he annoys the woman as the mug of ale is jerked back up to his mouth again. Setting it down with a clunk to the table surface he fishes out a mark bit, flicks it onto the table and stands as if to leave muttering, “Ain’t got time for games.”

Irritation seems to be the specialty of the day at the Blood and Bucket, for Jaya doesn't look one bit put out by the man's irritation at her. "I said," she reiterates, "that you don't want none of this. Why do you men always have to think you gotta prove your manhood when you think it's being threatened?" Not that she was the one doing the threatening. Not at all. Getting off the table now, her voice a little louder now, "And don't 'shards woman' me! Who you think you're talkin' to?? I don't got to tell you nothing at all but to kiss my ass!!" She flicks a glance Keane's way and finds the owner sending her a heavy warning glance. Narrowing her gaze at the owner and speaking more forcefully, "I don't get paid enough for this!" To Max, "Maybe when you get some respect, I'll have better memory. Until then, drink your damn ale and get up outta here!"

As he stands Max executes a dramatic roll of eyes, “For fuck’s sake woman! I’m not.” He states bluntly on holding any real interest in Jaya. With a sneer to her snipe on kissing her ass, “I’d gladly do so, but you’d just accuse me of trying to prove my manhood.” Taking up his wide brimmed hat and clamping it back on his head, dark eyes snap from under it’s brim, his voice turned out low, “Perhaps if you didn’t get your panties in such a wad over nothing, you might have found yourself with extra marks.” The mug of ale lifted, drained and plonked back down again. Not that he’d needed any directive to do so. With another snort sent the barmaid’s way, fingers lift to tug the brim of his hat in polite gesture in Keane’s direction and he leaves. Out the door without so much as a backward glance.

"Ha!" Jaya tosses that out at him, looking rather too triumphant at his anger. Of course, the mention of marks wipes some of that triumph from her face, the missed opportunity patron is already making his way out of the bar right when Keane swoops down on her. "Dammit it, Jaya!!!" he cries, watching marks walking out the door. "Not again! I TOLD you to strain that temper of yours! You're runnin' marks outta my door!!" Jaya's eyes remain firmly on the entrance, the look rather sour as Keane continues to berate her. Then, she turns, picks up the drained mug, and makes her way towards the counter with the owner on her heels, threatening (probably for the tenth time already) that if she didn't stop antagonizing his customers that he was going to throw her out on her butt like he should had done in the first place. The way it's all said, it's likely this is an argument that was brought forth the last 9 or so times.